Reach Out to Book Me to Speak at Your Event
See my signature talks below. I’m happy to tailor a talk to your needs. I can’t wait to hear from you.
Speeches
The Life-Changing Power of One Question
For women 50+ at an inflection point
Can one question change your life? Absolutely.
This talk explores how asking the right questions—at the right time—can spark powerful personal transformation. Whether you’re facing a new chapter due to divorce, loss, an empty nest, or a career shift, this conversation will guide you toward clarity, joy, and renewed purpose.
We’ll dive into:
- How to discover your personal “happy place”—the people, places, and pursuits that light you up
- The power of micro-moments: how one daily question can build deeper connections and improve your wellbeing
- Transformational questions that shape your path forward:
- What would you do if you couldn’t fail?
- What’s one thing you’ll regret not doing when you’re 90?
- If you were a talk show host, who would you most want to interview?
- What does your vision board really look like?
Through storytelling and reflection, you’ll leave with a toolkit of meaningful questions to help reimagine your life with intention, connection, and purpose.
Businesses that Give Back and
How You Can Build One Too
What happens when passion meets purpose? In this inspiring session, you’ll hear the stories of three remarkable women who built thriving businesses by putting impact at the center of their mission. Each partnered with artisans in underdeveloped countries—uplifting communities, preserving heritage crafts, and creating opportunity—while also growing successful brands of their own.
You’ll learn:
- How these women did it: From concept to collaboration, discover the steps they took to bring their vision to life.
- The key factors in negotiating fair terms: Learn how they structured partnerships that honored craftsmanship, empowered communities, and ensured sustainability for all.
- How to share your mission through product: See how they turned storytelling and product design into powerful tools for awareness, connection, and growth.
This talk is a must-attend for anyone curious about social enterprise, ethical entrepreneurship, and turning values into a viable business model.
Six Hours to a Side Gig
What if I told you that the only thing standing between you and your next big idea is six focused hours? In this talk, I’ll walk you through the process of how you can launch a brand-new business in less than a day.
You’ll learn:
- How to decide what you want to do by identifying your strengths, passions, and what people need right now.
- How to come up with a great name that’s memorable, meaningful, and magnetizing.
- Easy branding tips so your audience instantly recognizes your voice, visuals, and vibe.
- Why pricing is paramount — and how to confidently price your product or service.
- How to take it to the web with simple, fast tools that get your idea online and live.
- And most importantly, how to tell everyone you know so your idea gains traction fast.
Whether you’re itching to launch your first business or want to experiment with a side hustle, this is your six-hour blueprint for turning inspiration into action.
kind words about Holly Hurd
Topics
For women who want to find more joy and fulfillment in their lives, there is one question that can help them make that transformation. Holly teaches you the secret of how to figure out what the question is and how to answer it to move forward. Whether you are an empty nester, newly widowed, a new divorcee or recently retired, you need this talk.
Nurturing an idea into a profitable income stream may seem daunting, but it’s wholly possible with Holly’s chronological guide. In 3 months, Holly maps out a clear, actionable path from conceptualization to realization. She breaks down the potentially complex process into easy-to-do steps making it totally possible for any woman to start generating income from her entrepreneurial idea in just 12 weeks.
Holly shares her deeply personal story, recounting a transformative night when she found herself pushed out of a car by her abusive college boyfriend. She was on the side of the road, sitting on the curb in the dark, with no phone when she made a transformative choice. She shares what she tells her own daughters now about what a good relationship should look and feel like. Ideal talk for high schools, colleges and women’s groups.
Media Publications
Book Review: Venture Mom by Holly Hurd
By Coach’s Casebook
Many women find themselves with a desire to do something new, to start a business, to find what really fulfills them. Holly Hurd is a master detective in helping women come up with an idea for a venture, a hobby that might turn into a business or a full fledged business. In her book VentureMom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks, you’ll learn how to come up with an idea and turn it into a business in just 12 weeks. With exercises and guidance the reader will have help at every step.
You’ll read about women who started with a hobby that created a new life, new friends and a money making business. Some women designed a venture for themselves that has given them such happiness. Some women took a talent and turned it into a service for others. You’ll find the path to the fulfillment you’re looking for in this book. Click here to read more.
By Holly Hurd
Local author Holly Hurd served as the keynote speaker. The event raised a significant sum for Person-to-Person’s Campership program, which helps send nearly 500 Stamford public elementary school students from low-income families to summer camp each year. Former Opus for Person-to-Person Co-President Alex Eising, who helped organize the event, said she wanted to bring alumnae together while supporting a cause “near and dear to my heart.” Click here to read more.
f you are part of an event looking for a speaker, please reach out to Holly Hurd. info@venturemom.com
By Chit Chat Author
Tell us a little about you. Moms love flexibility. In interviewing over 300 VentureMoms, I’ve been told that the number one perk to having your own business is flexibility. I’m Holly Hurd, founder of the VentureMom platform designed to show every mom in America how they, too, can start a business and find economic freedom and that oh-so-coveted flexibility. Click here to read more.
By Sarah Cody
“The book came-to-be because I met so many women who wanted to start their own business and they said, ‘How do I do it?’ So, I distilled what I had learned from the hundreds of moms that I’ve interviewed into a 12 week process,” explains this mom-of-three. “98 percent of the moms I’ve interviewed didn’t have a business plan, didn’t have start-up capital and didn’t even have a babysitter.” Click here to read more.
By Lisa Stein
“Today, we got the chance to speak with a mom entrepreneur, Holly Hurd – Founder of VentureMom.com. Holly has built a successful online business by highlighting a different VentureMom on her site and giving people an opportunity to learn about them and their products and drive traffic. She has now created an additional feature and platform for women to be able to sell, advertise and grow their business on her website. Learn more about Holly and what she has created. What was your motivation to work from home or start your business? I’ve always worked for myself and I met these fabulous women who had started their own businesses too. I first started to write a book to share their stories and then figured out that through the web I could share faster. So I started VentureMom.com and began to cover a new mom each week. Taking it one step further is my mission to support these moms and their businesses; I just launched the VentureMom Shop where I showcase the mom products and services…” Read entire interview here on Freelance Mom.
By Woombie.com
For many people, the decision to start their own business comes easy. They know they want to be their own boss. They know they want the freedom of working for themselves. They know they want to build something that lasts for their families. But the next question is a lot harder. “What kind of business should I start?”
About her new book Holly Hurd says, “In my book, Venture Mom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks, I go into detail about picking your business, but here are three basic tips to get you started. You can learn more on this subject and how to turn your idea into a profitable venture in my book.” Click here to read more.
By Megan Davis
Holly Hurd, Darien resident and founder of VentureMom.com, a website that every week profiles a new mom with a business, moderated the panel. Hurd told the audience five commonalities that her successful “venture moms” have had in common. The moms generally start a venture around a passion. The moms use friends and family. “If you tell everyone you know, people will want to help you,” said Hurd. Click here to read more.
By Dr. Reece
We are most thankful for the great stories that we’re able to cover and share on our site. The downswing in the economy has led inventive moms to create their own ventures and build profitable businesses. I’m so thankful to be able to learn about a multitude of business ventures from all over the country, in all sizes, and in all specific areas from food ideas, to creative clothing, to home ventures, to ventures with animals, to service businesses. And to be able to provide motivation for others by sharing these women’s successful venture stories is what makes me so happy. So thanks to all the moms who have either fallen into a venture by accident or set out to create an entrepreneurial vocation that gives them fulfillment and then sharing them with the world through our website. Click here to read more.
By Christine Chiarellli
“For Holly Hurd, 2012 means inspiring more moms to venture out. Last time Hurd spoke with It’s Relevant, she had close to 70 featured VentureMoms on her site VentureMom.com, telling the success stories of women from Connecticut and across the country. Now with 3,000 followers.
‘A lot of women will say finding a business course equals X amount of dollars,’ said Hurd, ‘but finding out what I want to do is priceless.’Before the venture hour takes place, Hurd sends the mom a questionnaire to fill out, which will clarify their interests and any limitations such as other jobs, children, or certain time constraints. Hurd will then have an hour over-the-phone consultation with the mom for a $197 fee, to discover interests or hobbies the mom can generate a business with. The venture hour also includes a free copy of Hurd’s 12-step book titled ’12 Week Mom to Venture Mom.’
‘These moms are doing something right now they can charge for, like this one woman who makes homemade ice cream cakes,’ said Hurd. ‘I just love doing this.’” Click here to read more.
By Dr. Reece
We believe the single best asset that powerful women have is the ability to communicate effectively for a positive outcome. Even when the message is not good, women know how to frame bad news between a compliment and a thank-you. Further, when powerful women are delivering good news, they can communicate the enormous part the person played in the making the good news happen. Many women garner this skill when raising children. Overall, women can read their audience and use their communication skills to their advantage in all situations. Click here to read more.
By Rieva Lesonsky
There is so much small business owners need to know to operate at peak performance. Luckily we live in the Information Age with plentiful resources. To help you sift through some of the data, every week we’re going to look at three business books and the lessons you can learn from reading them.
Venture Mom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks ($17.95)
Holly Hurd is a serial entrepreneur who today runs the online marketplace VentureMom.com. In this excellent book Hurd shares her methods—and those of other entrepreneurial moms—of learning to “do anything you set your mind to.” Of course Hurd says you need to be “authentic, passionate and persistent.”
Venture Mom is so easy to read. It’s filled with tips and success stories that almost all women can relate to. And Hurd provides advice for what she calls “self-starting” moms, whether they want to earn a few extra dollars or build a scalable business. The book takes you step-by-step, week-by-week into the world of startup. For less than 20 bucks, you’re essentially getting a crash course in entrepreneurship. Definitely worth reading. Click here to read more.
By Charles Franklin
Busy Moms Guide to Hacking Small Biz from the Kitchen
“Venture Mom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks” is a guide to hacking the business owner for the mom who has a profitable talent or skill, but hasn’t unleashed her full potential yet. The book guides prospective “mompreneurs” through the a 12-week program designed to help them plan and market a small business that is centered around their unique abilities, schedule, and personal interests. Click here to read more.
By The Westport Library
Holly Hurd of VentureMom moderated a panel of Westport mothers sharing ideas and strategies for running successful businesses. Panelists included Ruth Frantz of Henri’s Reserve (an e-boutique for champagne lovers), Jill Ciporin of Lovely Manners (encouraging good table manners with colorful instructive placemats), Kathy Monahan of 8 to the Bar (healthy nut and fruit bars) and Karen Ellman of Vintage Virtuosa. Click here to read more.
By Charles Franklin
Busy Moms Guide to Hacking Small Biz from the Kitchen
“Venture Mom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks” is a guide to hacking the business owner for the mom who has a profitable talent or skill, but hasn’t unleashed her full potential yet. The book guides prospective “mompreneurs” through the a 12-week program designed to help them plan and market a small business that is centered around their unique abilities, schedule, and personal interests. Click here to read more.
By Holly Hurd
Surprisingly, many women entrepreneurs or small business owners had no plans to start a business when something happened that got them started. In fact, many of them fell into their business when they were doing something they loved to do, and were good at. The one thing they all had in common, is that they were at an inflection point in their lives, either personally or professionally. They were looking for fulfillment and a more purposeful life. In almost all these cases, there was one question that helped these women make a choice and move forward—” What makes me happy?” Click here to read more.
Quotes
The Daily Darien
A lot of moms don’t know how to start their own venture and need a place to go. My message is that you can start your own venture and still have time for your children,” Hurd says, “and I can show you how to do that.”
“A venture should be something you are enthusiastic about, something you love, that you have a passion for. Do what you love and the money will follow.”
ItsRelevant.com
“My mission is to provide a place where anyone can look at my site and figure out their life now, what they enjoy doing, and create a business around what they like to do.”
“A lot of women will say ‘finding a business course equals X amount of dollars but figuring out what I want to do is priceless.’”
ItsRelevant.com
“My mission is to provide a place where anyone can look at my site and figure out their life now, what they enjoy doing, and create a business around what they like to do.”
“A lot of women will say ‘finding a business course equals X amount of dollars but figuring out what I want to do is priceless.’”
New Canaan News
“What I love most about what I do, is the opportunity to empower women and show them how a hobby or a passion for something can actually evolve into a successful business.”
New Canaan Darien and Rowayton Magazine
“Where other women love to shop, I am happiest building businesses and helping moms move forward. And I love to motivate others.”
“My social circle is full of successful women who left the workforce to raise kids but got bored after elementary school. I meet moms everywhere and I always ask them, ‘What’s your business? How’d you get started?’ It’s my cocktail party conversation. And I started writing about their stories.”
International Association of Women Entrepreneurs Online (IAWEO)
“My advice is to compartmentalize. You’ll be happier and so will your kids and family. When you schedule time for work, be at work. Keep all distractions to a minimum. So that means, have a babysitter or work while your kids are in school. If you work at home, don’t do the laundry, empty the dishwasher or make the beds. That time should be scheduled as well, so that when you sit down at your desk you’re are focused on only work.”
Holly Hurd
“We believe the single best asset that powerful women have is the ability to communicate effectively for a positive outcome.”
Videos
Radio Appearances
The Debbie Nigro Show (Regular Featured Guest)
News Talk AM 1490 WGCH & WGHC.com
Startup Nation Radio
Paul Bologna, Producer, Startup Nation Radio, WJR760 Saturdays 2-3pm
iHeart Radio
This Little Parent Stayed Home with Ally Lopretea
Experience Pros Radio Show
KLZ-AM, Denver, CO and BizTalkRadio nationally. The interview is also streamed live on the Experience Pros website.
Late Afternoons with Mike Schikman
WSVA-AM, Harrisonburg, VA
Anything Goes with Kim Berns (Regular Featured Guest)
News Talk AM 1490 WGCH & WGCH.com
Women’s Watch
WBZ-AM in Boston, MA
Business Insanity
WIND-AM, Chicago, IL
Money for Lunch
BlogTalkRadio
Stu Taylor on Business
WESO-AM, Lexington, MA / Money Matters Radio Network, MA, RI, CT, ME, NH, VT
The Entrepreneurs Club
WINT-AM / Willoughby, OH
Conversations Live
THE LIFE CHANGING POWER OF ONE Question
For women who want to reinvent their lives, there is one question to help them make that transformation. Holly helps women figure out what the question is and how to answer it. Whether you are an empty nester, a widow, a divorcee or recently retired, Holly can help you move forward. NEW BOOK COMING SOON!!!
What happens when passion meets purpose? In this inspiring session, you’ll hear the stories of remarkable women who built thriving businesses by putting impact at the center of their mission. Each partnered with artisans in underdeveloped countries—uplifting communities, preserving heritage crafts, and creating opportunity—while also growing successful brands of their own..